Internal-combustion-engine construction.



A. A. NEFF. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28. I9I5- Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

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A TTORNEY A. A. NEFF. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, I9I5.

Patented Mar. 11.1919.

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WITNESSES. l/I/I/ENTOR Wrw 2:44414/ By I Z um/my;

A. A. NEFF.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28. 1915, 1,296,686. Patented Mar.11,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 3,-

ADOLPH ANTON NEFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION-ENGIN E CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

Application filed May 28, 1915. SeriallNo. 30,891.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Anonrn ANTON NEFF, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented Internal-Combustion- EngineConstructions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engine constructions and hasfor its object the provision of a simple, improved construction of thischaracter ada ted to produce a very high degree of e ciency. Otherobjects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in substantially the combinations and arrangementof parts hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specificatiomand more specifically set forth inthe subjoined claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of an internal combustion engineconstruction embodying my invention and shown diagrammatically.

Fig. 2 is a top view of an internal combustion engine with portionsbroken away showing internal parts.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation with portions broken away to show hiddenparts.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section of a "alve used in theconstruction.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of another "alve used in the construction; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing still another valve used in theconstruction.

In embodying my invention in practice, I preferably provide aconstruction in which thefuel and air, or other oxidizing agent, arereduced in temperature as low as practical and delivered to thecombustion chamber of the engine under compression. The fuel andoxidizing agent are compressed isothermally as far as can beconveniently done, such as by water-jacketing the compressor or in someother convenient manner. The remaining portion of the compression isaccomplished substantially adiabatically since the temperature rises sorapidly that the heat of compression cannot be, transmitted to the waterin the cooling means during this portion of the compression stroke.

The fuel. which may be any suitable gaseous, liquid or finely pulverizedsolid materials, and the air or other oxidizing agent, are preferablycompressed separately and mixed together upon their introduction intothe combustion chamber. By this means I am enabled to burn thecombustible mixture as it enters the combustion chamber and over aconsiderable period of the working stroke of the piston. I preferablycool the working cylinder as little as is necessa to insure lubricationof the working piston in order to render the combustion and exhauststrokes as nearly adiabatic as is possible, to get the greatest thermalefliciency from the fuel charge.

By compressing the fuel and air outside of the working cylinder, I amenabled to cause the cooling means, such as the circulation of water, tocool the fuel and air during compression, to a considerable degree. Thiscould not be accomplished where the fuel and air were compressed in theworking cylinder and maintain the working cylinder at a high temperatureas is found to be economical in practice. 3

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I provide a workingcylinder 10, having a working piston 11, connected to a crank shaft 12by means of a connecting rod 13. The crank shaft 12 is mounted insuitable bearings 14 carried on the frame 15 of the engine. I provide awater-jacket 16 on large sizes of engine constructions embodying myinvention, since it is found that larger sizes of engines heat morerapidly than the smaller sizes of engines. In small sizes of engines thewater-jacket may be dispensed with. It is desired to provide suflicientcirculation for water in the water-jacket 16 to cool the cylinder onlysufficiently to prevent sticking of the piston 11 in the cylinder 10.

For convenience I have indicated the air and fuel compressors as mountedon the engine base 15 and connected to the crank shaft 12, but when sodesired, these compressors may be mounted in any other convenient ordesired positions and operated in any convenient or desired manner. Inthe form I have shown, a fuel compressor cylinder 17 is provided with apiston 18 which is connected by means of a bifurcated connecting link 19to the crank shaft 12, see particularly Fig. 2. I also provide an aircompressor cylinder 20 having a piston 21 mounted therein and connectedto the other arm of the bifurcated connecting link 19. When so desired,the pistons 18 and 21 may be connected to the crank shaft 12 in anyother desired manner. Thecylinders 17 and 20 are providedwith awater-jacket 22 invided with a spring pressed intakevalve 25- and aspring ressed exhaust valve 26 in its intake and e aust portsrespectively. The exhaust ports of cylinders 17 and 20 are connected, bymeans of passages 27 and 28, w1th the cylinder 10. The ends 29 and ofthe passages 27 and 28 respectively, are dlsposed at an acute angle toeach other, or directed toward a common point within the cylinder 10, sothat air and fuel passing through the passage ends 29 and 30 will beforced agamst each other in such a manner as to cause the air and fuelto become intimately mixed upon entering the cylinder.

The piston 11 is mounted in cylinder 10 in such a manner that when it isnext the closed end of cylinder 10, its surface adjacent such cylinderend, is very close to the latter. This provides means whereby scavengingof the engine is very completely accomplished. The space between thepiston 11 and the closed end of cylinder 10 need be only sufficient toprevent the piston head from contacting the closed end of the cylinder.

Fitted in the cylinder wall of cylinder 10,

is a spark plug 31 of any convenient or depiston head 11 sired designadapted'to ignite themixture of air and fuel upon their entry to thecylinder 10. I have not shown the wiring diagram of the electric circuitemployed to produce a spark in the spark plug 31, since such circuitsare common and well known in this art.

In the closed end of cylinder 10, I provide an exhaust port 32 leadingto the outside atmosphere. The exhaust port 32 is controlled by a valve33. Said valve is provided with a stem 34 operated through a crank 35,connecting rod 36, and eccentric 37, said eccentric being secured on oneend of crank shaft 12. The valve stem 34 also carries valves 38 and 39which control the passage of air and fuel through passages 28 and 27respectively. With this arrangement then, it will be noted that thevalves controlling the supply of air and fuel to the cylinder andexhaust port are automatically operated by the crank shaft ofltheengine. These valves 33, 38 and 39 are preferably timed so that thevalves 38 and 39 open at or near the time when the is nearest the closed,end of cylinder 10 and continue to remain open through a considerableportion of the outscavenging of the cylinder 10. From this constructionit will also be noted that a work ing charge is introduced to thecylinder 10 upon each outward stroke of the piston 11, causing a workingimpulse on the piston 11, during this stroke,

and that the burnt gases are entirely removed during the return orinward stroke of the piston head. This is made possible since the airand fuel are com-' pressed outside of the cylinder 10 and suppliedthereto under sufficient compression.

The pistons 18 and 21 are timed so that they lead the piston 11 severaldegrees on the crank shaft in order to provide sufficient compression ofthe air and fuel to cause such air and fuel to enter the cylinder 10with suflicien-t force to cause intimate mixing thereof as soon asvalves 38 and 39 have been opened.

In order to supply the fuel and air to'the compressors at as low adegree of temperature as These coolers are simllar in construction anddesign. In each a shell 42 is provided with ingress and egress wateropenings 43 in order to provide means for passing the water through suchshell. Also in each of the coolers is a coil 44 adapted to increase thecooling surface of the pipes conducting air and fuel through suchcooler. The cooler 41 is connected to the air compressor by means of apipe 45, and cooler 40 is connected with the fuel compressor'by means ofa pipe 46, so that all of the air and fuel taken by the air and fuelcompressors are forced to pass through the coolers 40 and 41. Thisprovides means whereby the air and fuel enter the compressors atcomparatively low temperatures, thereby preventing the heat ofcompression from raising the temperature of the fuel and air to veryhigh degrees during compression thereof. This also provides meanswhereby the temperatures of the compressed air and fluid are suppliedtothe working cylinder at'lower degrees than if the coolers were notemployed.

In passages 27 and 28, I provide throttle valve openings 47 and 48 in astem 49. The stem 49 is adapted to be operated manually to control thesupply of air and fuel through said openings to the cylinder 10 in orderto control the speed of the engine. Then ,the engine is throttled down,the air and fuel compressors tend to supply more fuel and air than canbe forced through such throttle possible, I provide coolers 40 and 41.

1,2ee,ese

valve openings into the working cylinder. I have therefore providedstorage tanks and 51 connected to the passages 27 and 28 by means ofpipes 52 and 53. It will be seen that the storage tanks 50 and 51provide means for supplying compressed air and fuel for the purpose ofstarting the engine, and

also for supplying air and fuel quickly should a sudden demand be madeupon them in the running of the engine.

In each of pipes 52 and 53, I provide a novel form of check valve 54,which permits the flow of fuel and air to the tanks 50 and 51 butprevents the return of such fuel and air from the tan is. A detail ofvalve 54 is shown in Fig. 6 and comprises a casing in which is the valveproper 54', coiiperating with a valve seat 55' and carried on a valvestem 55. The valve stem also carries a piston 56 which is ofsubstantially the same diameter as valve 54', so that back pressure onthe valve from the storage tank will not tend to hold the valve closed.The valve 54' is held against its seat'by a compression spring 57 andthe tension of the spring may be varied by an adjusting screw 57threaded in the casing. Owing to the balancing effect of the backpressure from the storage tank on valves 54 and piston 56, such backpressure will not tend to hold the valve 54 closed upon the beginning ofadmission of fluid through the valve.

To permit the fuel and air to pass from the storage tanks back topassages 27 and 28, I provide short pipes 58 and 59 forming by-passesaround the check valves 54. In these by-passes I provide an equalizingvalve 60, shown' in detail in Fig. 5. The valve 60 comprisesa casinghaving two passages 61 and 62, one passage adapted for the passage ofair and the other for the passage of fuel. In the body of the valve is acylin- (luv (33 which connects the passages 61 and 6; and in thecylinder is provided a piston 7 (at which separates the fuel and air.The

piston 64 carries valve stems 65 and on the ends of said valve stems arevalves 66. The arrangement is such that when the pressures of air andfuel are equal the piston 64 remains substantially central of thecylinder 63, and maintains both valves 66 open, permitting the-passageof both air and fuel. If, however, either the air or fuel should havegreater pressure than the other, the side having the greater pressurewould move piston 64 and consequently close the valve in the fluidhaving the higher pressure. The running of the engine, however, wouldcontinue to draw on the fluids and reduce the pressure on the side ofpiston 64 next the fluid having the higher pressure, and permit theother fluid to move the piston 64 to open the closed valve, thus causingthe valve in the fluid having the greater pressure to be opened andclosed rapidly to retard the flow of such fluid to the engine in theproper quantity. The by-pass pipes 58 and 59 areeach provided with aconventional check valve 60 which prevents the pressure from thecompressors acting on valve 60 while the storage tanks are beingcharged. In each of the pipes-15 and 46 I provide a controlling valve 67adapted to cut off the supply of fuel and air to the compressors whenthe pressures of such fluid and air have reached a predeterminedpressure in such tanks, thereby preventing further admission of fuel andair to the tanks. A detail of the controlling valve 67 is shown in Fig.4 and comprises a casing having a web or spider 68 mounted therein witha bearing at its axis in which is slidably mounted a valve stem 69. Thevalve stem carries a valve 70 adapted to coiiperate with a valve seat 70on one side of the web 68 and a piston 71 on the other side of said web.The valve 7 0 is normally held open by a compression spring 73. Threadedin the casing is an adjusting screw 73 engaging the spring 73 andadapted-to vary the tension of said spring. .The end of the casing isconnected by means of a pipe 72 with one of the pipes 52 and 53, asclearly indicated in Fig. 1, so that when the pressure in one of thestorage tanks is greater than the strength of spring 73, fluid from suchstor age tank will pass through one of the pipes 72 and move the piston71 against the influence of the spring 73 and close valve 70, therebycutting oil the admission of fuel and air to the compressors. Thisprovides means whereby the pressure of storage tanks 50 and 51 cannotexceed a predetermined pressure. and prevents bursting of the tanks.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this inventionbelongs, that more than one set of openings 29 and 30 may be provided incylinder 10, and that the relative directions of these openings may bealtered from that shown, the essential feature being that the openings29 and 30 be situated with respect to each other so that an intimatemixture of fuel and air will be accomplished upon the latter enteringthe cylinder.

It will be found that this engine construction is also capable of use asan expansion engine where no internal combustion takes place. In thislatter case, superheated steam or other heated fluid may be introducedinto the cylinder 10 through opening 29 in the place of fuel and mixedwith the air from opening 30 to give the desired results. In this caseheat will be absorbed by the air causing the latter to expand to operatethe engine. The engine is, however, more efiicient as an internalcombustion engine than a simple expansion engine. In either case,whether the engine is used as an in ternal combustion engine or a heatexpansion the fuel and connected with said passages;

engine, it will be found that at the end of the expansion or exhauststroke the pressure and temperature of the exhausted or expanded fluidswill be very near the temperature and pressure of the atmosphere,thereby eliminating to a very great extent, the noise of the exhaust orexpansion fluid leaving the cylinder. It will also be noted that slncethe air and fluid are intimately mixed upon entering the cylinder, andthere ignited," perfect combustion will result, even though the air isadmitted in excess of the amount required to support combustion, andthat in case more air is admitted than is necessary for supportingcombustion, this air will be heated by the heat of combustion andincreased in pressure or volume to assist in the operation of theengine.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to theprecise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such'variations and changes as come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is; j

1. An internal combustion engine combustion engine comprising a workcylinder having separate fuel and air passages opening thereinto, saidpassages meeting at an acute angle approximately at the point Where theyenter the cylinder and adapted to direct the fuel and air together asthey enter the cylinder; sources of fuel and air supplies connected withsaid passages; and ignition means adjacent the point where the air andfuel passages meet adapted to ignite air at substantially their meetingpoint.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a working cylinder havingseparate fuel and air passages opening thereinto, said passages meetingat an acute angle approximately at the point where they enter thecylinder and adapted to cause the air and.

fuel to impinge each other as they enter the cylinder; sources of fueland 'air supplies ignition means adjacent the point where said passagesmeet; valves in said passages and a connection between the engine andsaid valves adapted to hold the valves open during the greater stroke ofthe cylinder.

3. An-internal combustion engine comprising a working cylinder havingseparate fuel and air passages opening thereinto, said passages meetingapproximately at the point where they enter the cylinder; sources offuel and air supplies connected with said passages; valves controllingthe passage of fuel and .air to the cylinder; a connection between theengine and said valves adapted to hold the valves open during thegreater portion of the working portion of the working stroke of thecylinder; and ignition means reaching into the cylinder adapted toignite the fuel as fed into the cylinder.

4. An internal combustion engine comprising a working cylinder; a pistonin the cylinder; sources of fuel and air supplies .engine comprising aworking cylinder; a

plston in the cylinder; sources of air and fuel supplies; means foradmitting fuel and air from said sources of supply to the cylinder froma point near the be 'nning to a point near the end of the workmg strokeof the piston; and ignition means for igniting the fuel as fed into thecylinder.

6. In combination, an internal combustion engine comprising a workingcylinder having a fuel passage and an an passage opening thereinto, saidpassages converging toward each other and meeting approximately at thepoint where they enter the cylinder; a sparkplug'having its sparkingpoints adjacent the point where said passages meetya piston in thecylinder; an air compressor connected with the air passage adapted todeliver air to the cylinder dur ing the working stroke of the piston; afuel compressor connected with the fuel passage adapted to deliver fuelto the cylinder during the working stroke of the piston; andvalves insaid passages connected with and operable by the piston and adapted toadmit air and fuel simultaneously to the cylinder during a large portionof the working stroke of the piston and to cut off the air and fuel fromthe cylinder during the rest of the cycle of movement of said piston.

.7. An internal combustion engine comprising a working cylinder; a' fuelcompressor connected with the cylinder; an air com-pressor connectedwith the cylinder; cooling means for cooling the fuel before the latterreaches the fuel compressor; cooling means for cooling the airbefore thelatter reaches the air compressor; and cooling jackets on saidcompressors.

8. An internal combustion engine comprising a working cylinder; a fuelcompressor connected with the cylinder, an air compressor connected Withthe cylinder independently of the fuel compressor; means for absorbingheat from the fuel and the air tion engine cylinder;

before reaching said compressors; means as sociated with the compressorsfor absorbing heat due to compression of the fuel and air; and means forpreventing overheating of the cylinder.

9. In combination, an internal combustion engine ,cylinder; fuel and aircompressors; connections between the compressors and cylinder; throttlevalves in said connections adapted to limit the flow of fuel and air tothe cylinder and cause parts of the fuel and air to back up in saidconnections; storage tanks connected with said connections and adaptedto receive the fuel and air backed up in said connections; and pressurecontrolling means connected between said tanks and connections adaptedto equalize the pressures of air and fuel as they reenter saidconnections.

10. In combination, an internal combustion engine cylinder; fuel and aircompressors; connections between the compressors and cylinder; throttlevalves in said connections adapted to limit the flow of fuel and air tothe cylinder and cause parts of the fuel and air to back up in saidconnections; storage tanks connected with said connections and adaptedto receive the fuel and air backed up in said connections; a pressureequalizing valve in communication with said connections adapted tocontrol the flow of fuel and air from the storage tanks back to saidconnections at substantially the same pressures; valves connected withthe intake openings of said compressors; and means operable by thepressures of the fuel and air in the storage tanks connected with thelast-mentioned valves adapted to control the admission of fuel and airto the compressors.

1 1. In combination, an internal combustion engine cylinder; fuel andair compressors; connections between the compressors and cylinder;throttle valves in said connections; storage tanks; pipes connecting thestorage tanks with the parts of said connections between the throttlevalves and the compressors; check valves in said pipes adapted to stopthe flow of air and fuel from the storage tanks; bypasses in said pipesaround said check valves; and means connected with said bypasses tendingto feed the fuel and air back to said connections at substantially thesame pressures.

12. In combination, an internal combusair and fuel compressors connectedtogether and adapted to compress air and fuel to substantially equalpressures; connections between the compressors and the engine cylinder;throttle valves in said connections; storage tanks; pipes connecting thestorage tanks with said connections; and a pressure equalizing valveconnected in said pipes tending to equalize and fuel pass from saidstorage tanks back to said connections.

13. In combination, an engine cylinder; air and fuel compressors havingintake and exhaust ports; connections between said exhaust ports andsaid cylinder; throttle valves in said connections restricting the flowof fuel and air to the engine cylinder; storage tanks; pipes connectingthe storage tanks with said connections adapted to convey parts of thefuel and air from said connectlons to said storage tanks; a pressureequalizing valve connected in said pipes and adapted to control the flowof air and fuel through said pipes in the direction toward saidconnections and cause such air and fuel to enter said connections atsubstantially the same pressures; and Valves connected with the intakeports of the compressors and having communications with said pipesadapted to be operated upon by pressl rlres of fluids in the latter tocontrol the passage of air and fuel to said inet ports. v t

14. In combination, an internal combustlon engine cylinder; air and fuelcompressors having intake and exhaust ports; a piston in said cylinder;a connection connecting said piston with said compressors causing thelatter to compress air and fuel at substantially equal pressures;connections between said exhaust ports and said cylin der; throttlevalves in said connections controlling the s'upply of fuel and air tothe engine cylinder; storagetanks; pipes connecting the storage tankswith said connections adapted to convey fuel and air from saidconnections to the storage tanks; valves connected with the intakes ofsaid compressors; springs normally holding said last mentioned valvesopened; and connections between said pipes and last mentioned valvesadapted to permit the latter to be closed by pressure of air and fuel insaid pipes when the pressure of such air and fuel becomes greater thanthe strength of said springs.

15. In combination, an internal combustion engine cylinder; air and fuelcompressors storage tanks a connection between each of the compressors,one of the storage tanks and the engine cylinder; valves in saidconnections in the portions of the latter leading to the engine cylinderadapted to throttle the supply of air and fuel to the engine cylinderand cause parts of the compressed air and fuel to back up into thestorage tanks; and tions of the connections leading to the storage tanksadapted to be operated by the pressures of the fuel and air in said lastmentioned portions to facilitatefeeding the air and fuel from thestorage tanks to the cyglinder at pressures as nearly equal as poss1 e.

16. In combination, a working cylinder; a piston in the cylinder;independent air and fuel compressors connected with the cylinder andadapted to deliver air and fuel separately to said cylinder during thefull working stroke of the piston; and means associated with thecompressors for maintaining the air and fuel cool during compress1on.

17. In combination, an internal combustion engine cylinder; means forsupplying air and fuel separately to said cylinder'under full workingpressures; means for igniting the fuel as it enters'the cylinder; andmeans for maintaining the air and fuel cool as they are placed undercompression.

18. In combination, a fluid motor; air and fuel compressors; air andfuel storage tanks; connections between said motor, compressors andstorage tanks; means controlling the supply of air and fuel to the motorand storage tanks; and means tending to equalize the pressure of fueland air from the storage-tanks to the motor.

19. In combination, a fluid motor; storage tanks; a1r and fuelcompressors; connec tions between the motor, storage tanks andcompressors; means in said connections adapted to automatically divertthe excess air and fuel over'what-is used by the motor while running tosaid storage tanks;'and means for equalizing the pressures of fuel andair before they enter said connections in their passa e from saidstorage tanks.

20. In com ination, an internal combustion motor; separate storage tanksfor fuel and air under pressure; connections between said motor and saidstorage tanks;'and a pressure equalizing valve in said connectionsoperable by the pressures of air and fuel passing through said valvefrom both of said storage tanks and-adapted to control the flow of fueland air to the motor causing such fuel and air to be fed to the motor atsubstantially the same pressures in proper working proportions. y

In. testlmony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 21st day of May, A.D. 1915.

ADOLP-H ANTON NEFF. Witnesses:

THOMAS COLSON, CHARLES H. SEEM.

